GoHelp – Partnership with the United Nations (UN) in disaster management

Smart, comprehensive prevention measures and a state of constant preparedness are absolutely indispensable to ensuring fast and effective assistance in the event of a disaster. At the core of the Group-wide GoHelp program is the strategic disaster management partnership with the United Nations (UN), which has made Deutsche Post DHL Group an important player in the worldwide humanitarian community. When called upon by the UN, we support global relief efforts by volunteering our logistics expertise, our global network and the personal commitment of our individual employees.

We must unfortunately deny any request of free shipping to affected regions. The situation at an airport following a major disaster is rather hectic, and individual and unsolicited packages arriving in the area can create a bottleneck at the airport and slow down the entire process. If you want to help we encourage you to donate money to large, internationally-operating aid agencies. Financial support is often the best way to help immediately as it does not slow down the flow of relief aid.

DRT deployment to Puerto Rico

Following immeasurable damage by Hurricane Maria to Puerto Rico, Deutsche Post DHL Group's Disaster Response Team (DRT) has been deployed to support the island’s recovery.

Disaster Response

When natural disasters strike, we provide on-site logistics support at airports to ensure the successful processing and dispatch of relief supplies. When called upon by the UN, our Disaster Response Teams (DRT) can be on the ground and operational anywhere in the world within 72 hours.

The GoHelp program

Our employees in action

As a result of the weather event "El niño costero", parts of Peru were devastated by floods and landslides. The national crisis management agency INDECI called upon Deutsche Post DHL Group and asked for a Disaster Response Team to be deployed to Lima Airport. Between March 23rd and April 16th, the team took over the loading and unloading of relief goods, as well as the management of two warehouses.

After a devastating earthquake reaching 7.8 on the Richter-Scale struck Nepal in April 2015, 31 volunteers of the DHL Disaster Response Team Asia Pacific were deployed to Kathmandu Airport for 27 days. In January 2017, the management of Kathmandu Airport, together with local authorities and the GARD-Trainers from Deutsche Post DHL developed a document, containing suggestions on how to prepare the airport for its role in the aftermath of a disaster.

TECHO, a non-governmental organization based in Latin America and the Caribbean, completed an especially ambitious project in April 2014. Working hand in hand with slum residents, TECHO volunteers achieved their goal to build a total of 100,000 transitional houses. 38 DHL El Salvador volunteers joined TECHO from April 12-13, 2014 to help make this possible. The 100,000 houses tell 100,000 stories of overcoming odds and restoring dignity.

Through our relief fund "We Help Each Other" (WHEO), employees can donate money to fellow employees who are themselves victims of natural disasters. In 2014, WHEO provided support to 41 employees in Bosnia, Chile, Germany, Mexico and the Philippines.